It has been an absolutely amazing week for vinyl.
I started it off picking up one of the last Don Adams LP missing from my collection. (I still need his self-titled first LP.) The disc is titled, Don Adams Meets The Roving Reporter. Not nearly as cool as my Agent 99 7″ radio promo, but a nice addition just the same.
Then I found another Sesame Street album that I didn’t have, which is getting more difficult now that I have nearly fourty Henson-related LPs. Play-Along Songs is the re-issue of the Somebody Come And Play album from 1974. Even the reissue is hard to come by, and I’m happy whenever I find material from the first ten years of Sesame Street.
At a garage sale the same day I found three hardcover 7″ Sesame Street book-and-records, each with lyrics and an illustrated sleeve. They were dated 1970. I’m so glad I found them when I did, because they gave my brain something to connect with when I came across a real treasure the following weekend.
That was this morning when I hit up the Antique Mall and spotted a box set I’d never seen before with Sesame Street characters on the front. To my surprise when I opened it, I found hardcover book-and-records just like the ones from the garage sale, but these were a complete set in near mint condition with the original box!
The Sesame Street Carry About (1970)
Sesame Street was first broadcast in 1969, and I could tell that this was from the first few years because of the images of the original Big Bird and orange Oscar the Grouch, both from Season 1.
The seller asked for $15 and I offered $10. As soon as I got the set home I researched it and found out that it was in fact produced in 1970 along with the singles I had bought the weekend before. The set contains songs from The Sesame Street Book & Record (which I have as well.) And the catalog number was CCA 24509 – the first pressing for the set. The binding is mint on the books, you can tell that the covers have not been opened all the way. Better still, the handle is intact on box. I found six other sets available for purchase online and none of them had the handle. The first three sets I found were $89.99 each, the other three were priced between $100.00 and $500.00.
If I ever sell mine… I’m going back and giving the guy the extra $5.
Before I went home I made sure I stopped by the two record booths that bring me back to the Mall each weekend. This time I found a classic comedy record I’ve loved for years – Steven Wright’s I Have a Pony.
If you’re not familiar with Stephen’s deadpan delivery, it’s hilarious. Mitch Hedberg fans should definitely check him out.
I also found a John Cage promotional double LP from Tomato Records called Sonatas and Interludes For Prepared Piano & A Book of Music For Two Prepared Pianos. Inside the NM jacket was a copy of a typewritten stapled document about the recording on Tomato letterhead along with the original kraft “Tomato Quality Product” inner sleeves. I know the compositions are originally from 1948 and 1944 but I am not familiar with them so I’ll have to investigate further. I didn’t mind paying $7 for it as copies start at $22 on the Web.
Just when I thought I was all done at the Mall I found two more discs. How’s Your Bird is a 10″ compilation of early pre-Mothers Frank Zappa recordings released in Italy in 1998. It was released as four different colored limited edition transparent discs, 1000 copies of each. This copy is on clear vinyl.
The seller didn’t really know anything about the disc and gave it to me for $5. Copies are available online for between $27-$36.
The last disc was purchased purely out of nostalgia. I’m a child of the 80s and found this disc tucked behind a GI-Joe album.
He-Man & Skeletor – Masters of the Universe
I still have two large fold-out posters from He-Man magazine (thanks to a generous customer at work), and the He-Man LP should be good for a laugh if for nothing else.
All in all an excellent week of finds. It’s good to know I’ll have fresh material to listen to come winter time.
The Innerspace Connection 